Summer of 2016

This is the view looking from the lawn in front of our house to the house next door that we also own.

The summer of 2016 was a whirl wind of activity! I wasn't home much of the time as my two newest grandsons (twins) were just a few months old and I wanted to spend as much time as I could with them and their big brother. Gardening was put on a back burner, but not totally ignored as my local daylily club was invited to have their picnic here! Honestly, traveling to the grandkids wore me out! The last thing that I wanted to do is weed or plant any of my purchases! I didn't have any help lined up, so I just spruced up areas that were most visible. Nobody mentioned the somewhat messy areas. Also, the deer had been back. My husband had been spraying regularly, but we weren't always at home at key times and we'd come back to more nibbled plant material. Even so, we did have enough bloom to enjoy throughout the summer. We also tackled the poison ivy that had been growing rampantly for a few years. I think that next season we will see a marked difference where it was growing. We'll probably have to repeat the spraying to catch any vines that we missed or seedlings that sprout next spring. I guess we accomplished more than I thought!

I love growing annuals on the deck . I like to buy unusual things at arboretum sales. I try to bring cuttings or whole planters indoors to overwinter.

This long hedgerow is one of my favorite garden beds. There is a collection of ligularias as well as hosta, skimmia, primroses, spring bulbs and hydrangeas.

After I limbed up this gigantic yew, I planted hostas and ferns at its feet.

A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness;it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.~Gertrude Jekyll